Qualities to Look for when Buying Fescue Seed

You know not all products are created equal, and sometimes that’s easy to see. You can feel a loaf of bread to make sure it’s not stale. You open the carton of eggs while standing by the refrigerator case to make sure none are broken. But it’s not always as easy when you don’t see the finished product.

We feel the same way about seed. The problem is, a 50-pound bag of seed is a larger investment than a box of cake mix. However, they both require quality ingredients to leave you as a happy customer.

If you’re an avid baker, you’ll know the essentials to look for in a quality cake recipe, but do you know what’s truly needed for a successful Tall Fescue lawn?

The Right Mix

When selecting a type of Fescue grass seed, you want to make sure the variety of seed you’re purchasing is professional quality.

Inspect the tag to see what Fescue varieties are blended into the mix. What company provided these seeds? Why did they choose this type of seed? Has the seed variety been tested by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program?

Our Elite Tall Fescue seed is a blend of three Tall Fescue seed varieties, selected each year according to a few key factors. When selecting the seed blend, we look for varieties that have performed well in heat tolerance and disease resistance in national trials. We also like to select seed types that maintain their dark green coloring.

Pure Seed – No Weeds

When planting new seeds, you don’t want to worry about fighting weeds. You can’t apply a pre-emergent to prevent weeds from sprouting – this would affect the germination of your seeds. The best thing you can do to give the new seeds a healthy start is to begin with a seed mix that’s guaranteed to be free of weeds.

This is why the Blue Tag Certification program is a beautiful thing. Seeds that are Blue Tag Certified are held to rigorous labeling standards. They’re tested and inspected to gain the seal-of-approval from the state crop improvement association in which the seed is produced. This state entity has to be a member of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies. (That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?)

You don’t have to be a seed scientist. Just know that when you see our Blue Tag Certification, rest easy in knowing that the seed you're purchasing doesn’t have any weeds in it.

Each bag of Elite Tall Fescue we sell in our stores boasts the Blue Tag Certification – meaning it’s the highest quality seed available in the retail market.

No Filler

Some seed brands cover their Fescue seed in up to 50% coating material. The more coating material you get, the fewer seeds are actually in the bag. If you purchase a 40-pound bag of seed with 50% filler or “inert matter”, you’re only getting 20 pounds of seed.

However, our seed is specifically treated for disease resistance. Penkoted Technology provides a protective layer that helps prevent fungus in Fescue during early growth stages. Elite Tall Fescue seeds are also treated with micro-organisms that ensure stronger root systems and increase drought tolerance. This technology is called the MYCO Advantage.

However, these strategic treatments don’t take up as much room as other seed coatings. The “inert matter” in a bag of Elite Tall Fescue seed is less than 1%. There’s not much room for anything else when your bag is 99.4% full of seed.

Available in Large Quantities

You’ll need a lot of seed if you have a substantial amount of ground to cover! We have Elite Tall Fescue available for purchase at our Super-Sod stores. We stock both 25-pound and 50-pound bags of seed for your Fescue needs. Most other retail stores only stuff 20 or 40 pounds of Fescue seed in their bags.

Because there’s no filler and the bags are so packed full of growing goodness, Elite Tall Fescue seed is only available in Super-Sod stores. Find your local Super-Sod store to pick up your bag for the growing season!

Chosen by Farmers

This is one qualification you won’t see on the seed label, but we think it’s a pretty special one.

Super-Sod’s farmers manage 1,000 acres of Tall Fescue for sod production. These same farmers carefully select the Tall Fescue varieties we choose to add into our special blend each year. They know what works and study the growing environment year after year to ensure the Fescue on the farms will succeed.

Our farmers desire that same peace of mind for you when you’re growing a lawn from seed or overseeding an existing Fescue lawn. We purchase seed based on purity and performance, not price point.

Find Your Local Store

Now that you know what to look for when purchasing your seed, you’re ready to go!

Once you’re armed with all this knowledge, make a visit to your local Super-Sod store to pick up Elite Tall Fescue seed, fertilizer or Soil3 organic compost, and lime. Some of our stores even have package deals happening now. Find your store to see what they have in stock!

Special thanks to Preston Cavenaugh and Brad Hubinek for their Elite Tall Fescue enthusiasm and contributions to this blog post.